28
1 “Surely
there is a
mine for silver,
and a place
for gold which
they refine.
2 Iron
is taken out
of the earth,
and copper is
smelted out of
the ore.
3 Man
sets an end
to darkness,
and searches out,
to the furthest bound,
the stones of
obscurity and of
thick darkness.
4 He
breaks open a
shaft away from
where people live.
They are
forgotten by the
foot.
They hang far
from men, they
swing back and
forth.
5 As
for the earth, out
of it comes
bread.
Underneath it is
turned up as
it were by fire.
6 Sapphires come
from its rocks.
It has dust
of gold.
7 That
path no bird
of prey knows,
neither has
the falcon’s eye
seen it.
8 The
proud animals have
not trodden it,
nor has the fierce
lion passed
by there.
9 He
puts his hand
on the flinty
rock,
and he overturns
the mountains by
the roots.
10 He cuts
out channels among
the rocks.
His eye sees
every precious
thing.
11 He
binds the streams
that they don’t trickle.
The thing that is
hidden he brings
out to light.
12 “But where
will wisdom be
found?
Where is the
place of understanding?
13 Man doesn’t
know its price,
and it isn’t
found in the land
of the living.
14 The
deep says, ‘It isn’t
in me.’
The sea says, ‘It
isn’t with me.’
15 It
can’t be gotten
for gold,
neither will
silver be weighed
for its price.
16 It
can’t be valued
with the gold
of Ophir,
with the precious
onyx, or the
sapphire.
17 Gold
and glass can’t
equal it,
neither will it
be exchanged for
jewels of fine
gold.
18 No
mention will
be made of coral
or of crystal.
Yes, the price of
wisdom is above
rubies.
19 The
topaz of Ethiopia
will not equal
it.
It won’t be
valued with pure
gold.
20 Where
then does
wisdom come from?
Where is the
place of understanding?
21 Seeing it
is hidden from
the eyes of
all living,
and kept close
from the birds
of the sky.
22 Destruction
and Death say,
‘We have heard
a rumor of it with
our ears.’
23 “God
understands its
way,
and he knows
its place.
24 For
he looks to
the ends of
the earth,
and sees under
the whole sky.
25 He
establishes the force
of the wind.
Yes, he measures
out the waters
by measure.
26 When
he made a
decree for the
rain,
and a way
for the lightning
of the thunder,
27 then
he saw it,
and declared it.
He established it,
yes, and searched
it out.
28 To
man he said,
‘Behold, the fear
of the Lord,
that is wisdom.
To depart from
evil is understanding.’ ”